Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-09-08

Public School and the Library" The
following abstract conveys fair idea
of the line Of argument adhered TO:
There are more than 5000 public
libraries in the United States with over
10000, 900 volumes. What relation
should subsist between these and the
public schoolsp They are mutually
dependent on each other, and should
supplement each other. The school
teachers should take pains to awaken
a desire for reading books, suggest what
books to read, and give hints as to
methods of reading They should
make frequent visits 20 the public IL
brary with their pupils, read to their
students portions Of interesting books
listen to reports Of their reading, and
assign topics requiring examination
of books to be found in the public IL
brary. The library should be sup
piled with duplicates or sets of such
books as the schools can use. Refer
ence lists should be made out for the
use of pupils from the public schools
who have topics to investigate or es-
says to write. Every public library
should have its pedagogical alcoye
into which should be gathered the best
educational literature. Thus working
together toward a common end-pub-
lie culture tie public school and the
public library may help each other,
and together secure what is utterly
unattainable BY either working alone.
OUR COLLEGES BEHIND THE TIMES.
We live in an age of unparalleled
passion, pulse and power an age
with gigantic problems suddenly laid
on III our civilization is chiefly indus
trial, and the railway, the factory,
and labor organizations are the
largest elements of our social life.
Would any one believe priori that
under these circumstances our col
leges would be still haggling over tbeI
Greek and Latin question, and that
only one Of them in the entire country
should give Instruction on railway
transportation, the most important
subject now before the public, and the
one also on which there is such a vast
Ignorance This, however, is only one
instance of the disgusting narTowucss
of the PROFESSIONAL intellect as ''stimu-
lated" by endoWments. Everywhere
we find total want of connection be-
tween the colleges specially those
old and rich and the life Of the peo-
pie. Go into university library,
and after listening to the complaints
of the librarian about the paltry sums
at his disposal, you Will find splendid
and expensive editions of Percy's Ere
liques, SCOTS Dryden" hundreds
of volumes Of pedantic discussion
about Shakespeare. and You will look
in vain probably for the great news
papers which so faithfully reflect the
nations life; and "Bradstreets, "The
Railroad Gazette and frequently
even The Century. "Harpers,
1.-The Forum, and 1.-The Popular Sci
ence Monthly" will also be wanting
Recent American literature is treated
with similar disdain The want of di-
rect responsibility to the public is felt
in all directions. When railway cor
poration discovers that a man is i'm
COMPETENT, it discharges him; news
paper takes care not to retain poor
writer's. But no incapacity is so great
tnat n collc8o poSluoh, once palucu,
need be lost Go through any of our
great institutions, and you will find
that year after year the same com
plants have been made by students
regarding their instructors. These
have produced no effect, because the
stimulus of duty not re-enforced by
interest is not sufficient. 1t is disa
greeablc thing to discharge man,
and it is not done when the authorities
have no personal interest in the mat
ter. Thus college professorshipS in
this country come o Il pass shown fire.
quently in the 'livings' of the Eng
fish Church mere sinecures, invoN-
ing little labor. much reward, and
great security for dulness and inca
pacity Charles $, 4Sh'cB 81 PopHjG
Science uoHAiy